plik

The Sales Success

Handbook:

20 Lessons to Open and Close

Sales Now

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DOI: 10.1036/0071425659

Sales talk

✓

ales talk. What is it? It is more than you talking. Sales talk takes

two. It is not a monologue. It is a dialogue. It is a customer-centered
exchange of information that begins and ends with the customer
whose needs must drive the conversation.

You have a sales approach you use consciously or unconsciously

every day. How open are you to looking at your sales talk up close? If
you  are  open,  these  lessons  can  help  you  assess  yourself,  spot  your
strengths  and  weaknesses,  and  change  your  sales  talk.  You  will  tap
into  your  natural  skills,  leverage  your  knowledge,  and  sell  more  by
creating compelling dialogues with your customers.

You are probably thinking, “But I already do all that.” And it is

likely that you do. But how are you keeping up with the changes that
are occurring everywhere around you—with your customers, your
competitors, your markets, and your own organization?

Relying solely on product knowledge or technical expertise

doesn’t work in today’s environment. The Internet is a free and con-
venient  source  of  knowledge,  giving  customers  more  information
than  ever  before.  Salespeople  face  a  tough  business  climate  in
which they need to win all the good deals that are out there. In this
environment, products—once the key differentiator—are the equal-
izer. Instead of talking about products, your role is to communicate
a  message  in  which  you  add  value,  provide  perspective,  and  show
how your features and benefits apply to and satisfy customer needs.

Most salespeople use a model for selling that has been the pre-

dominant model for decades. It primarily relies on the old, tried-but-

viii

no-longer-true feature-and-benefit focus. Too many salespeople tell
their product stories too soon, without necessarily meaning to do so,
and invariably talk from a generic product vs. customer point of view.
When they ask about needs, they don’t go far enough. When they
identify a need, they jump to product, rather than create a rich dialogue
to understand why, how, or when.

Selling today is more demanding. As business becomes more

challenging, salespeople need a higher level of skill. My experience,
in more than two decades of working with tens of thousands of sales-
people in some of the finest organizations in the world, shows that at
best only 30% of salespeople truly practice need-based consultative
selling and no more than one third of those achieve trusted-advisor
level with their customers.

The bottom line is that too many salespeople are still too quick

to tell a product story. While most think solution, they present product.
Because they tend to talk more than they listen, they create an imbal-
anced give/get ratio instead of a 50/50 dialogue. Overall, the level
of preparation and questioning does not measure up. Most sales
organizations have good salespeople, but they lack enough superb
salespeople to drive the growth they need to succeed.

As much as everything else is changing, the old formulas of sell-

ing features and benefits are still around, blocking dialogues and
holding good salespeople back from becoming superb.

The lessons in The Sales Success Handbook will let you tap into your

natural talents by helping you take advantage of your personal
strengths, build on them, and create Sales talk that sells.

“Check your sales talk. Measure your ‘give/get ratio.’”

Tell your story

Create a dialogue

✓

f you were to ask 100 salespeople you know whether their approach

was customer-centered or product-centered, what would they say? Few,
if any, would boast about selling “a box.”

Most salespeople believe that they know their customers’ needs.

They believe they are positioning solutions, not products. They
believe they are customer-focused. These beliefs are the biggest
obstacles keeping them from making the changes they need to make
in their Sales talk.

Selling styles run the gamut. There is a sales style continuum. At

one end of the continuum is generic product selling, basically a
monologue, a “product dump.” At the other end is consultative sell-
ing, an interactive dialogue that focuses on the specific needs of the
customer. 100% on either end is impossible. All salespeople are
somewhere in between.

Some salespeople are charismatic sellers who rely on their inter-

personal skills and charm. Others are technical experts, substantive
in content but weak in customer focus. There are the “killers,” always
rushing to the close, often at the expense of the relationship. These
characterizations of sales types are extreme, but they set the context
for thinking about how salespeople approach sales.

The majority of salespeople today use a combination of

approaches.  They  want  to  be  liked,  they  want  to  be  credible,  they
want  to  close,  and they  want  to  meet  the  needs  of  their  customers.
But for most salespeople, this amalgamation has resulted in a quasi-
consultative approach  at  best.  While  quasi-consultative  salespeople

identify customer needs and are productive, they fall short of what
they could accomplish.

Salespeople who are at the consultative end of the continuum

create efficient but robust dialogues with their customers that enable
them to connect and learn more with each conversation. The dia-
logues are active, with balanced exchanges between the salesperson
and the customer. What they do looks easy and sounds like common
sense, but it is far from simple and it is not common practice.

The line between quasi-consultative selling and consultative sell-

ing is fine, but if all other factors are basically equal, the line means
the difference between winning business or losing to a competitor. It
can be the difference between being viewed as a technical specialist
and being a trusted advisor. With relatively equal competitors, it is
the sales talk of the salesperson or sales team that makes the differ-
ence between winning and losing business.

Here are ways you can create a robust dialogue:

Assess your sales talk:

How interactive are your sales dialogues?

What is your give/get ratio?

Commit to do something different:

Ask more probing questions.

Stop thinking in terms of educating customers:

Think more about

educating yourself about your customers.

“Increase your sales dialogue to increase your

sales results.”

Be prepared

Always be preparing

✓

op performers treat preparation differently. They are always

preparing—before and after each customer meeting.

How do you prepare? Do you think to yourself—what does my

customer need, what can I position that will make it easy for my cus-
tomer to say yes? Do you let ideas percolate in your mind so you can
be creative and proactive?

Having a preparation strategy will shorten your preparation time

and increase the impact. As you prepare, follow these three steps:

■

Begin with strategic preparation. Think about your longer-term
relationship objectives and then set your short-term immediate
objective for the call. Make sure your objective is measurable, is
achievable, and has a time frame so you can maintain momen-
tum, assess the outcome of your call, and accelerate your close.
Visualize the flow of your call and build in time for the customer
to talk.

■

Next, do customer preparation. Think about your customer’s
objectives, situation, needs, and decision criteria.

■

Finally, focus on your product/technical preparation. Use your
range of products and capabilities to meet your customer’s
needs. Plan the questions you will ask, anticipate objections, and
customize your materials.

Most salespeople prepare backwards. They start with

product/technical preparation. Beginning with strategic prepara-
tion will help you save time by letting you target your efforts and
remain customer-focused.

To help you in your preparation, stay up to date on industry and

company news. Leverage your team for ideas. Review your customer
files so that you can build on any information you already have and
avoid unnecessary repetition. Prepare the materials you think you
will need and tailor whatever you plan to give to the customer to
make sure it applies to the customer.

As you visualize your agenda for the call, make sure you remain

customer-focused. Prior to the call, whenever possible, get customer
input on your agenda. But even when you get input, always check
your agenda to get the feedback you need to get buy-in, make adjust-
ments, and go forward.

Here are tips to help you prepare:

Prepare for all customer calls:

Set a measurable objective with a

time frame for each call to help you maintain momentum and accel-
erate your close.

Tailor all material:

Show your customer your focus is on his or her

needs.

Visualize your call:

Plan the flow of your call and build in time for

the customer to talk.

“In preparing put first things first. Start with your

objective.”

Brush up on your skills

Sharpen your critical

skills

✓

op performers often say that their sales dialogues feel more like

brainstorming with their customers than “selling.” These are the six
critical skills that are fundamental to making their dialogues so fluid
and productive:

■

Presence—communicating energy, conviction, and interest when
speaking and listening

■

Relating—building rapport, using acknowledgment, and
expressing empathy to connect with customers

■

Questioning—creating a logical questioning strategy and effec-
tively using probing skills to uncover needs

■

Listening—understanding what the customer communicates in
words, tone, and body language

■

Positioning—persuasively demonstrating value and application
to the customer by customizing your product knowledge to the
needs of the customer

■

Checking—eliciting feedback on what you have said to gauge
customer understanding and agreement

These skills are the tools of selling. The sharper the skills, the

more  effective  the  salesperson.  A  weakness  in  any  one  of  the  skills
puts  a  cap  on  effectiveness.  For  example,  if  the  salesperson  can’t
establish  rapport  with  the  customer,  it  is  unlikely  the  customer  will
open up in answering questions. If the salesperson is a poor listener,
answers lose their value. And without an understanding of customer

needs, it’s almost impossible to connect capabilities to customer
needs.

Dialogue selling requires product knowledge and technical

expertise, but equal to these is customer knowledge and skill. In dia-
logue selling, the salesperson becomes a resource person who,
because he or she fully understands that particular customer’s specif-
ic needs, can meet the needs that relate to his or her product and
also cross-sell and meet the customer’s broader spectrum of needs.
To succeed in dialogue selling, you must master the six critical skills.

Here are ways you can sharpen these skills:

Assess your six critical skills:

presence, relating, questioning, lis-

tening, positioning, checking. Force-rank the skills. Identify your
strengths and areas for improvement. Work on one skill at a time to
get it to the next level.

Commit to self-critique:

At the end of each call, critique your skills

as well as the content of the meeting.

Ask for feedback:

Elicit feedback from your customers and col-

leagues.

“Salespeople are made, not born. For most salespeople,

sales excellence does not just come naturally.”

Grab the spotlight

Open with a focus on

your customer

✓

he opening of the call sets the tone. There are four important

things to accomplish as you open: establish rapport with the cus-
tomer, clarify the purpose of the meeting, set the focus on the cus-
tomer, and bridge to needs. Where you are in the sales cycle deter-
mines the emphasis on each. But even in the quickest follow-up tele-
phone call, the best salespeople fully leverage their openings.

Don’t skimp on building rapport. Take the time as you prepare

to plan your rapport while staying alert to cues for spontaneous rap-
port, such as photos or other, more personal signals. Be sensitive to
customers who are not open to rapport at that moment.

After you have established rapport, state the purpose of your call

from your customer’s perspective. Briefly bullet the key items of your
agenda and check with the customer that the agenda meets his or
her expectations.

While your objective is the measurable action step you want to

achieve, your purpose answers the all-important question, “What’s in
it for the customer?” Aim for your objective, but position your purpose
as you open to engage and gain the interest of the customer.
Consider the following two openings:

Opening 1: You state your objective: “Bill, John said you might
be interested in the new things we are doing in research with
. . . , so I’m here to talk with you about our ….” The spotlight
is on you and you are moving to discuss product.

Opening 2: You state your purpose: “Bill, thanks for taking the
time to meet with me ... (rapport). I know how busy you are and
I appreciate the time. John said you are doing some interesting
things in .... I’ve given thought to that and looked at your new
Web site, which looks great. I’d like to learn more about what
you are doing in ... and then explore how we might ... (briefly
bullet your agenda). How does that sound?” The spotlight is on
the customer and you are positioned to identify needs.
Opening 1 is headed toward a generic product discussion, while

Opening 2 is leading to an interactive dialogue to understand the cus-
tomer’s objective and needs before you cover your capabilities or ideas.

During the meeting, get credit for your preparation. Leverage

that you are prepared by positioning the homework you have done
to increase your credibility (as in Opening 2).

Many salespeople are self-focused as they open, which actually

hurts not only rapport but also the relationship. The customer-focused
salesperson realizes the importance of an opening that builds com-
mon ground and a shared understanding of the customer’s needs.

Here are some tips for optimizing your opening:

Prepare for rapport:

Take the time to plan how you will build rap-

port.

Fully leverage your opening:

Plan your opening from what you

want to accomplish— your greeting, rapport, purpose/agenda, and
checking of the agenda.

Define your purpose:

Translate your measurable objective into

your customer-focused purpose to gain the interest of the customer.

“There are three rules for a good opening: rapport,

rapport, and rapport.”

he critical skills of questioning, listening, positioning, and checking

are the know-how skills. But the skill of relating—which includes rap-
port, acknowledgment, and empathy—is the feel-how skill. Building
rapport is often connected to the opening of a call. But there are also
other powerful ways and times to relate throughout the call.

Many salespeople get into sales because they “like people.” As

critically important as rapport is, it is only one part of relating to cus-
tomers. Rapport is the “like people,” chitchat part of relating. Many
salespeople who are good at rapport limit their ability to connect
with customers to that part of relating. They don’t reap the benefits
of using acknowledgment and empathy throughout the dialogue.

In a training session, a group of salespeople were confronted

with an objection exercise in which an irate senior-level customer
said, “Your people are always spouting formulas as if we know what
to do with them!” They were asked to respond with empathy.

They said, “What is it you don’t understand?” and “I’ll go over

the process again” and so on. No one initially came up with an empa-
thy statement. It took a while to arrive at “We certainly don’t mean
to do that. I’m sorry we have not been clear. What specifically …?”

Acknowledgment and empathy are powerful skills. Although

questions can be empathetic in tone, questions don’t replace empa-
thy or acknowledgment. For example, if a customer mentions a prob-
lem, a good salesperson might ask, “How did you handle that?” A

Engage in small talk

Relate to your

customers

✓

superb salesperson is likely to introduce the question with empathy
to convey concern and, most important, encourage a more complete
response—for example, “I’m sorry to hear that that happened,” fol-
lowed by the question. Both acknowledgment and empathy are very
important to an active dialogue. Empathy goes a step beyond
acknowledgment in showing concern for the customer and, when
used effectively, it can help form personal bonds.

Empathy is not easy for some salespeople to express. They may

feel  empathy,  but  are  not  comfortable  communicating  it.  Verbally
expressing  concern  and  caring  can  help  you  reduce  customer
defenses and make you more persuasive. Especially when a customer
is emotional or the topic is sensitive, it is very helpful to respond first
with an expression of genuine empathy, to make the customer more
receptive  to  your  response.  Empathy  needs  to  be  genuine,  because
phony empathy is usually transparent to today’s savvy customers.

Many salespeople are more comfortable using acknowledgment

because it is more neutral. Using acknowledgment is also an effective
way to connect with customers.

Here’s how to broaden your relating skills:

Acknowledge, acknowledge, acknowledge:

Verbally indicate you

heard what the customer has said.

Empathize:

Express genuine empathy when your customer is dis-

turbed, excited, or emotional.

Rapport:

Develop your rapport skills by preparing how you will

build rapport. Rapport is the first step in building a relationship.

“Acknowledgment is the oxygen of sales.”

Start by asking questions

Position your

questioning

✓

any salespeople think that after their opening they are ready to

start “selling.” While their goal may be to understand customer
needs, too many go straight to talking product—true to a traditional
feature-and-benefit formula. Even when salespeople move to asking
questions, they can do so in a way that does not inspire customer buy-
in. By asking questions without any setup, they can limit the level of
cooperation they get.

Instead, as you wrap up your opening, bridge to customer needs

by setting the expectation that you will be asking questions and
check to get the customer’s agreement. The reason to do this is that
when people are made a part of the decision, it is more likely they
will participate actively and enthusiastically. If you preface the reason
you’d like to ask questions with a customer benefit, you will increase
the cooperation you get. For example, “I’ve looked at ... in prepara-
tion for our meeting .... To help me focus on your interests, may I
ask ...?” It is also important to preface your preparation to show the
effort you have made to make the meeting meaningful.

Even with customers who say, “Tell me about X product” or

“What do you have for me today?” don’t succumb to the temptation
of product before needs. Say, “Yes. I’ve put together some material
on .... So I can focus the discussion on what is important to you, may
I ask a few questions? What ...? Can you tell me ...?” If it is later in the
sales cycle and you have already identified needs, recap those needs

and ask a question to identify additional needs or concerns and to
learn if anything has changed so that you can incorporate that into
the dialogue.

Knowing when you are exiting your opening and creating a

bridge to needs will help you move into a robust need dialogue. It
will also help you avoid getting to product too soon.

Here are a few ideas to help you create a bridge to needs as you

exit your opening:

Reference your homework:

Build credibility by reinforcing that

you are prepared but that you also would like to ask questions.

Bridge to customer needs:

Begin by sharing your reason for asking

questions, to encourage the customer to participate in the dialogue.

Focus on a customer benefit:

Let the customer know how he or she

will benefit by participating in the dialogue.

“Pave the way for the need dialogue.”

ven when customers share their needs because they are open or

because you’ve asked questions, don’t let the dialogue fall short of
fully understanding needs. By having a logical questioning strategy,
you can create a dialogue that will let you efficiently and effectively
explore the needs of your customers.

Your questioning strategy gives you a structure to develop a dia-

logue rich in needs and your questioning skills give you the flexibil-
ity you need within the structure to improvise while still directing the
dialogue. Since you are likely to be asking more questions, planning
the overall structure and flow of your questions is essential.

Your questioning strategy will enable you to create effective and

efficient  need  dialogues with  your  customers.  As  you  plan  your  ques-
tioning strategy, begin broadly. Start by asking about the customer’s
objectives.  An  understanding  of  what  the  customer  wants  to  accom-
plish  provides  the  best  foundation for  probing  more  deeply.  It  is
astounding how many salespeople skip this question.

Once you have a clear understanding of the customer’s objectives,

then ask about the current situation. Probe this to learn about priori-
ties and concerns. Next, ask about level of satisfaction and drill down to
understand what is working and what needs to be changed. As appro-
priate, also ask about future needs, so you can take them into consider-
ation to help you differentiate your solution. As appropriate, tactful-
ly ask about personal needs so you can build personal motivators into

Ask questions off the cuff

Develop a questioning

strategy

✓

your solution and be more persuasive. Throughout your questioning
strategy, look for opportunities to drill down to learn more.

Once you have a full understanding of needs (customer’s objec-

tive, current situation, level of satisfaction, future needs), ask imple-
mentation questions that have not been addressed in the course of the
dialogue. Critical to your being able to realistically assess the oppor-
tunity and close are questions about implementation, including budg-
et, timeframe, compelling event driving the decision, decision-mak-
ing process (including decision makers and influencers), competi-
tors, relationships, and other related initiatives.

Here are some ways to use a questioning strategy:

Implement a powerful question strategy to create high-impact need

dialogues:

Begin with more strategic questions. Learn about the cur-

rent situation. Learn about level of satisfaction. Identify future and
personal needs. Drill down as appropriate.

Prepare your questions:

Questions are too important to leave to

chance. Yet you should remain spontaneous. Within your question-
ing structure, listen for opportunities to drill down, learn more, and
pick up on customer cues.

Ask about implementation:

Understand budget, timeframe, com-

pelling event, decision makers, competitors, and related initiatives.

“A questioning strategy gives you a way to create a true

need dialogue.”

Think answers

Think questions

✓

hen you ask most salespeople why they are meeting with a cus-

tomer, the word “tell” dominates their responses. When a salesper-
son called his product specialist to help him compose an e-mail to a
hot prospect and asked for help in describing the purpose of the
meeting they would be requesting, the specialist said, “To meet with
you to tell you about our fully integrated ... and how we can ...” A cus-
tomer-first mindset would have changed the nuance of the e-mail. A
specialist tuned into his or her sales talk might have said, “To learn
about your … initiative and discuss how our fully integrated … might
support you in ....” The shift is small—but powerful.

Certainly it makes sense to want to “tell”—provided that what you

tell is persuasive. A questioning mindset is about perspective. When
you think about approaching customers, do you think answers or
questions? There is a time and a place for answers. But without a
questioning mindset, you may find yourself answering before either
you or the customer are ready.

While it makes perfect sense to think questions, most salespeople

have developed the opposite habit. Many are reluctant to ask ques-
tions, for many reasons. They think:

■

“There isn’t enough time.” The time spent asking questions will help
you develop a winning solution and often will save you time by
allowing you to focus on what is important to the customer.

■

“I’ll lose control.” The person who controls the questions general-
ly controls the call.

“The customer will think I’m unprepared.” Customers can evaluate

you by the quality of your questions. The right questions show how
well prepared you are, especially if you position them by referring to
your preparation. For example, “I spoke with John before our meet-
ing and he was helpful in providing .... I’ve .... I would like to hear
from your perspective your vision of how ....”

■

“Customers will object.” If you preface your questions well by show-
ing a level of understanding and preparation, most customers
will welcome questions rather than a product dump.

■

“I don’t want to risk offending my customer.” It is more often sales-
people than customers who feel uncomfortable about question-
ing. Effective questioning skills can help offset this reluctance.

■

“Questions will raise negative issues.” When negative issues are on
the table, you have a chance to resolve them.

■

“I’m experienced and already know ....” Making assumptions without
checking, validating, or learning more can easily cost the deal.

■

“My job is to have the answer.” If customers wanted only product
answers, this would be true. But customers want value and per-
spective. They want your answer to apply to them.

Here are some guidelines to help you think questions:

Put customer needs first:

This means questions before answers.

Hold back your instinct to answer:

It’s natural that you want to tell.

Hold back, not indefinitely, but just long enough to tailor your
response.

Ask one more question:

Push yourself to learn one more thing.

“The question mark is the most important punctuation

mark in sales grammar.”

Move from topic to topic

Develop deeper need

dialogues

✓

ow do you respond when a customer makes a comment, asks a

question, or objects? Most salespeople respond with an answer—but
there are alternatives.

When a customer tells you something, don’t immediately

respond with an answer. Instead of being the answer man or answer
woman, acknowledge the comment and, when appropriate, find out
more by asking a “Why?” question. Take a moment to show your
thoughtful consideration.

Consider this simple situation. The customer asks, “Does this

come in a more neutral color?” The average salesperson is likely to
respond with an answer.

■

“Yes. It comes in ….” (product before need)

■

“No. Only one color ….” (giving up before needs are identified)

■

“But it’s the latest color.” (contradiction)

■

“Oh, so what you are saying is you don’t like the color?” (reflec-
tive listening)

■

“If I can get it in … color, then will you buy it?” (“if/then” tech-
nique that moves to the close before the needs or obstacles are
understood)

■

“Well, the quality is ….” or “What do you think of the fabric?”
(changing the platform)

■

“Oh, is the color too bright?” (interpretation, translation,
assumption/putting words in the customer’s mouth)

■

“Most customers feel it is very neutral.” (discounting the objec-
tion)

■

“Some of my other customers feel the same way.” (reinforcing
the objection)

■

“Well, I’m not sure if you’d like a darker color, but we also offer
....” (telling vs. checking)

In each response, the salesperson is trying to persuade or evade.

But without connecting (acknowledgment) and getting more infor-
mation (question), the responses are defensive and/or self-centered
vs. customer-centered. By using acknowledgment and a question, the
salesperson could have connected, learned more, and been more
persuasive. For example:

The tendency to answer is deeply entrenched in most salespeople.

The customer who asks, “Why does it take two months? That seems so
long,” may be satisfied with “Because we tailor the packaging.” However,
you can be the salesperson who connects better and closes more sales by
saying, “Two months can seem long. May I ask what your concern is
about the two-month delivery?” Even if the two months cannot be
adjusted, your sales talk is customer-centered and shows a willingness to
meet the needs of the customer.

Here are some tips to efficiently create effective need dialogues:

Slow down:

Don’t be so fast to offer an answer.

Use acknowledgment:

Introduce your questions by acknowledging

what the customer has said (not paraphrasing), to encourage the
customer to answer.

Be curious:

Find out why.

“Effective questioning is half the job of sales.”

f course, most salespeople ask questions—but what is the quality,

the range, and the impact of those questions?

Sales questions are critical. Begin by planning the questions you

will ask. If you are not sure what questions to ask, check with a man-
ager, a colleague, or a specialist.

How you ask questions is as important as what you ask. Asking

questions effectively takes skill, discipline, knowledge, and confi-
dence. You don’t want to sound like a prosecuting attorney.

As you develop your questions, think about the structure, the

pace, and the tactics you will use to get your customers to talk and
open up.

How you phrase, position, and sequence your questions will have

an  impact  on  how  willing  your  customer  is  to  participate  in  the  dia-
logue and what you are able to learn. Compare these two questions:
“Who  makes  the  decision?”  and  “Once  you  have  reviewed  this,  what
will  your  decision  process  involve?”  The  first  question  will  prompt  a
customer  to  give  a  short  and  possibly  incomplete,  misleading
response. The second question, because it already recognizes the cus-
tomer’s role, is likely to prompt a more accurate and informative reply.

Preface your questions to encourage a robust dialogue. As a lead-

in to your questions, to motivate the customer to share information,
preface with acknowledgment: for example, “I understand that it is time-
consuming. How are you handling it now?” For more sensitive or emo-

Focus on the questions you

ask

Focus on how skillfully

you ask questions

✓

tional situations, you can preface with empathy: for example, “I’m very
sorry  for  the  disruption  this  is  causing.  What  happened?”  You  can  also
preface  questions  with  a  customer benefit, such  as  “So  I  can  take  the
needs  of  the  regions  into  consideration,  how  does  the  local  …?”
Trading is another excellent way to preface, by exchanging informa-
tion:  “Our  specialists  tell  us  there  is  a  slowdown  in  ….  How  is  that
impacting your plans?”

Here are some tips to strengthen how you ask questions:

Structure your questions:

Develop the habit of asking open-ended

vs. closed-ended questions to create a robust dialogue. Closed-ended
questions begin with words such as “Do” and “Are” and result in yes-
or-no answers.

Pace your questions:

Ask one question at a time rather than mul-

tiple questions together. When confronted with several questions at
once, the customer is unlikely to answer all questions or provide
complete answers. Avoid answering your own questions or providing
multiple-choice answers. Ask a question and then be silent.

Ask drill-down questions:

After the customer responds, drill down

with a question to gain more insight and information. Drill-down
questions help you gain more information by letting you explore
what the customer has said.

“Give as much thought to how you ask your questions as

to what you ask.”

Listen efficiently

Listen effectively

✓

istening in sales requires the equivalent of a zoom lens. Effective

listening is not the same as efficient listening. Effective listening
enables you to show interest, connect with the customer, and gain a
fuller understanding of the customer’s needs.

Most salespeople listen efficiently. They listen to what they think is

important. They listen with an ear to talk vs. absorb and assess. While a
small percentage of salespeople may zone out, most salespeople do lis-
ten efficiently—they pay enough attention to stay active in the dialogue.

Listening effectively goes beyond this. Effective listeners not only

stay in the dialogue but also pay attention with a high level of inten-
sity. They listen to all content and also observe the tone of voice, pac-
ing, and emphasis. They maintain good eye contact and/or acknowl-
edge. They listen with an ear to question and integrate. They observe
body language and test the customer’s verbal message against what
they read. Their follow-up questions tell the customer they are listen-
ing. They are sensitive to the messages they communicate with their
own body language.

Another way they show they are listening is by taking notes judi-

ciously of all key important information. Taking notes seems to be a
lost art, but great notes are essential to truly customizing solutions
and are invaluable in creating winning proposals and following up
flawlessly.

Listening is one of the six critical skills essential to an effective

dialogue. In fact, when we ask top salespeople about their skills and
how they sell, the majority rate listening as their strongest skill.

Ambiguous words can hold the key to understanding the cus-

tomer’s needs and criteria for making decisions. Listen for words or
ideas to explore or clarify to avoid talking at cross-purposes. By clar-
ifying what broad words mean and getting more information, you
can tailor how you discuss your solutions to transform what could
have been a generic response to a tailored and persuasive one.

For example, if a customer says, “Frankly, I was pretty impressed

with your competitor,” you can gain invaluable information if you ask,
“I know you were speaking to X. What impressed you, specifically?” If
the customer says, “It’s too rich for us,” ask, “Rich? How so?” If the cus-
tomer says, “I have hesitations about X,” ask, “I know you want to feel
comfortable going forward. What’s causing you to hesitate?” If a cus-
tomer says, “You are not consistent,” acknowledge and find out in what
way. Impressed, rich, hesitations, and consistent are words to clarify.

Here are some strategies to help you listen effectively rather than

efficiently:

Listen for content:

Train your ear to hear what is important to the

customer and clarify and explore all ambiguous words.

Listen for emphasis and emotions:

Words that the customer under-

scores with his or her voice or delivers emotionally you should note
and explore. Emotional words can give insights into more personal
needs.

Use body language:

Listen with your eyes as well as your ears. Read

your customer’s body language to gain insight into how he or she
feels about something—confused, disturbed, elated, involved, or
detached. Check to validate.

“Listen to learn. The best salespeople are the

best listeners.”

Tell about your products

Position your message

✓

ositioning, one of the six critical skills, allows you to relate your

capabilities to your customers’ needs. The way to position is to tell
your story—but it must be more than a product story. It is the oppo-
site of a generic product pitch.

Product knowledge is just the foundation here. Having a strong

message and knowing how to customize it to incorporate your cus-
tomer’s needs is critical in winning business.

The first level of positioning is developing a core message that is

clear, customer-focused, and graphic. You must know what you want
to communicate and use words and images that the customer can
understand and relate to.

The second level of positioning is to integrate customer needs

into a message tailored for a specific customer. You use your critical
and creative skills to understand the customer’s needs, language,
and perspective and to create the link to your offerings.

To position your message:

■

Integrate and begin with a concise recap of the needs (“We’ve
discussed your objective to ...”)

■

Concisely and graphically position the tailored features and ben-
efits of your recommendation (“Based on our discussion to ... we
can ... so you can ...”)

■

Finally, ask a checking question to get feedback (“How does that
sound?”)

There is a third level to positioning. As you learn more during the

sales process, incorporate into your message what you’ve learned and

what is happening as you move through the sales cycle. For example,
if you present a proposal to key influencers, you should then incorpo-
rate what you learn there and reposition your message when you pres-
ent to the expanded group of influencers and decision makers.

You can use positioning throughout the dialogue, whenever you

want to be persuasive. Here are a couple of examples:

■

When asking a question to gain access—“You’ve been very help-
ful in our understanding .... When I was speaking with our spe-
cialist .... We’d like to meet with the head of IT and you so we can
build your strategy into our presentation” (vs. “We’d like to meet
with your head of IT”)

■

When discussing your capabilities—“Our ... will enable you to get
your data to your 30 division heads globally before the ... so you
can ...” (vs. “Our ... lets us deliver ... by ...”).

The value of positioning is that it shows customer focus and cus-

tomer knowledge.

Here are strategies to help you position your message persuasively:

Know the message you want to communicate:

Practice how you will

describe your capabilities. Make sure your core message is customer-
focused, concise, and graphic.

Update your message continuously:

Reflect changes in your com-

pany’s and your customer’s situation, needs, and perceptions.

Position effectively:

Summarize key customer benefits concisely,

to lead into your message or recommendation; integrate into your
core message the specific customer needs you have uncovered, con-
cisely and graphically.

“‘The medium is the message.’—You are the medium for

your company’s message.”

Identify your competition

Analyze your

competitors

✓

ou will almost always face tough competition. It is your job to

know your competitors and create a competitive strategy. Regardless
of  how  much  market  intelligence  you  have  about  the  competitors
from  your  research  or  your  marketing  team  (and  often  it’s  not  as
much as you would like), it is equally critical to understand how your
customer  feels  about  the  competitors,  so  that  you  can  effectively
position against them—and do it in a way that neither denigrates nor
promotes them.

As a part of your preparation, learn as much as possible about

your competitors using the Internet, files, colleagues, literature,
trade shows, annual reports, competitors, and advertisements.

One source of competitive information often not tapped is cus-

tomers. Most customers will answer questions like “Who else are you
speaking with?” “How do you feel about them?” “What has been your
experience?”  “What  do  you  like  about  working  with  them?”  “What
would  you  change?”  “What  is  their  approach?”  “Who  do  you  work
with  there?”  “How  do  we  compare?”  As  you  listen,  don’t  become
defensive.  Don’t  denigrate  the  competition.  Directly  criticizing  a
competitor  reflects  badly  on  you.  You  might  even  be  insulting  the
customer  who  selected  the  competitor.  Instead,  ask  targeted  ques-
tions and help the customer make comparisons.

Find out what your competitors are offering, what the relation-

ship history is, and who your competitors have access to. Find out

how your customers feel about your competitors and ask how you
stack up. Determine how your level of access to the customer and
other members of the customer’s decision-making team compares.

Asking questions about the competition saves time—and deals.

When one salesperson asked how his proposal stacked up, he was told
he was number two. Why? The software package. With this informa-
tion, he teamed up with a software firm and submitted a revised pro-
posal that won.

With competitive data, you can create a competitive strategy, bol-

ster how and what you sell, and better position yourself against the
competition. You will also gain competitive feedback that you can
funnel to your organization to spur new products, product improve-
ments, and more effective competitive strategies. By knowing your
competitors, you will be able to to diffuse any “mines” again you that
your competitors plant.

Here are some tips on offsetting competitors:

Know your competitors:

Develop data about your competitors and

use it to position against them.

Get your customer’s perspective:

Your customers are a great source

of competitive information. Find out how they view competitors
compared with their perceptions of you.

Tactfully highlight competitive weaknesses:

When you have a com-

petitive strength or know about a weakness of a competitor, before
you express your view, ask a question that focuses your customer on
the competitor’s weakness. Then position your strengths.

“Know your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses and

how you stack up.”

Avoid objections

Use objections to

move forward

✓

ustomers object for many reasons. Objections can be frustrating,

but they are also a healthy sign in that your customer is listening crit-
ically and considering your proposition.

Objections provide a great way for you to build credibility and

move  forward  in  the  sale.  However,  most  salespeople  don’t  handle
objections  strategically.  Instead  they  get  defensive  and  try  to  argue
with  the  customer,  which  just  makes  the  customer  defensive  in
return. Another common response to objections is just the opposite
of defensiveness: salespeople give up.

An alternative to “fight” or “flight” responses is to use acknowl-

edgment and questions to understand the objection and obtain the
information needed to resolve the objection.

How you respond to key objections ultimately determines

whether an objection is a negative or a positive force in the sale,
whether it closes down the opportunity or leads to the close.

Traditional methods for dealing with objections give the salesper-

son the awesome task of changing the customer’s mind. But the best
way to think about an objection is that you need more information.
Using acknowledgment and question(s) engaging the customer in a
collaborative effort to solve the problem.

When a top salesperson in one of the most highly regarded sales

organizations in the world was asked his secret for success, he replied,
“Empathy.” Acknowledgment and empathy are critical throughout
the sales dialogue and are particularly useful in resolving objections.

Acknowledgment says to your customer, “I understand what you

have said.” Empathy says, “I care.” Acknowledgment is highly appro-
priate throughout the dialogue, but especially with objections.
Empathy is appropriate when the customer is upset or the situation
is more troublesome, personal, serious, or emotional. Both show you
care about the customer’s feelings.

In resolving objections, appreciate that most customers know

more about their needs than you do. By maintaining the connection
with acknowledgment or empathy and learning more about the
objection through questioning, you will avoid making assumptions,
becoming defensive, or giving up.

To help turn objections into opportunities:

Acknowledge or show empathy for the customer’s concerns:

Reframe

the negative situation by verbalizing that you understand the objec-
tion (not paraphrasing). The acknowledgment or empathy will pave
the way for you to narrow down the concern with a question so that
you can effectively address it. Don’t erase your acknowledgment or
empathy by using the word “but.”

Ask questions to learn more about the objection:

Objections are usu-

ally broad and need to be clarified.

Position your response:

Be concise, be specific, and customize your

response to meet the customer’s needs. Then check for feedback: ask
a question to find out how well you have satisfied the objection.

“General objections only get general answers.”

Recap for the customer

Check for customer

feedback

✓

hecking, one of the six critical skills, is the process of asking your

customer how he or she feels about what you have said before either
of you move on to another point. Although it’s important to summa-
rize needs concisely and accurately, summaries do not provide what
you can get from checking. Many salespeople recap (tell); far fewer
check (ask).

Checking for feedback is an essential skill for salespeople who

really want to know where they stand in meeting customer needs. It
helps you gauge how you are progressing and gives you the informa-
tion you need to navigate the sale and make adjustments. It keeps you
from assuming that the customer understands or accepts what you
have said. (Silence from the customer does not mean agreement.)

It keeps the call interactive: continuously asking for feedback

keeps your customer involved, active, and interested. Most impor-
tant, feedback from checking lets you refine your message and
makes you more confident to close because you understand how the
customer is likely to respond.

Checking also helps you identify obstacles and opportunities so

you can address them. For example, during the dialogue you might
ask the customer, “Which sounds better at first glance, X or Y?” and
“What system do you have?” These questions will let you save time,
focus the dialogue, and help you tailor your message.

Each time you position a major point of your message, answer a

question, or respond to an objection, check for feedback to gauge the

customer’s  reaction.  If  the  customer  understands  and  agrees,  your
checking  question  will  save  you  time,  because  you’ll  know  that  you
don’t have to address that point further. If feedback from your check-
ing  shows  the  customer  still  has  a  question,  you  can  backtrack,  ask
questions yourself, make adjustments, and/or reset your objective.

Checking is the skill that salespeople resist the most—initially.

They see it as risky because the feedback may be negative—objec-
tions, complaints, requests, demands. But with practice, they find
that checking is indispensable—a virtual secret weapon.

Don’t confuse checking with high-pressure or manipulative tac-

tics. Checking is neither. Checking questions are open-ended—what,
how, to what extent. They are not leading questions like “Don’t you
want to save money?” or “Don’t you agree this benefits you?” Leading
questions force the customer to say yes and be pushed to buy.
Checking is different, because it seeks all feedback.

Checking is the opposite of summarizing. Summarizing gives

information: for example, “I think X will work well in your structure
because it meets your objective to ....” Checking gets information: for
example, “How do you think X will work in your structure to meet
your objective to …?” After all, it is not what you think that counts,
but what the customer thinks.

Here are some key strategies to check for feedback:

Check for feedback before moving on:

Ask for feedback on all

important information you position.

Use checking questions throughout the call:

Get customer feedback

from your opening to your close.

Do a reality check on your objective:

Continuous checking lets you

assess how realistic your sales objective is and provides you with a foun-
dation for asking for your action step or readjusting your objective.

“Checking is your compass for staying on course.”

Negotiate as soon as you can

Don’t negotiate too

early

✓

elling and negotiating are separate phases of the sales process.

Selling is the phase in which you determine if the customer wants to
do business with you and/or you want to do business with the cus-
tomer. You identify customer needs, build trust, and show the value
you bring in meeting customer needs. Negotiating is the phase in
which price, terms, and profit are determined.

Any time you are discussing price or terms, you have moved into

the  negotiating  phase  of  the  call.  In  the  negotiating  phase,  people
are afraid of being taken and, therefore, can feel defensive. During
negotiation,  it  is  usually  too  late  to  identify  needs,  build  trust,  or
gather  the  kind  of  key  information  that  would  have  been  readily
available in the selling phase.

It is fairly common for a customer early in the selling phase to say,

“Just tell me a price before anything else.” Before discussing price or
terms, ask yourself two questions. Do you know the customer’s
needs? Does the customer know the value you bring to the table?

If the answer to either question is no, hold off. But don’t say no.

Say, “Yes, so we can discuss price, may I ask a few questions and get
the  details  I  need?”  If  a  customer  won’t  give  you  information,  it  is
risky  for  you  to  give  pricing,  either  specific  or  ballpark.  Instead,
remain consultative and repeat your need for information. If the cus-
tomer wants pricing information early in the sales process, start the
trading process by trading price information for customer informa-
tion.  Unless  you  understand  needs,  you  won’t  be  able  to  connect
price or terms with value to the customer.

Avoid negotiating until you understand the customer’s needs

and you have shown your value. Make sure you are ready to negoti-
ate: know needs and position value before getting to price or terms.

If the customer makes demands, go beneath the demand to get

to the need. Why? Because there is usually only one way to satisfy a
demand, but there are multiple ways to satisfy a need.

Use negotiation strategies to preserve your price and terms.

Always discuss price or terms in the context of value to the customer.

Finally, remain consultative. Even with an adversarial negotiator,

don’t become adversarial. You don’t have to be adversarial to be in
control.

As you negotiate, use the following strategies:

Get to the need beneath the demand:

There is usually only one way

to satisfy a demand, but there are multiple ways to satisfy a need.

Trade, don’t give:

When you do make a concession, trade. Keep

track of your concessions and make one concession at a time.

Use the power of silence:

Once you state price, be silent. The first

to speak is usually the first to concede. This is one time not to check
for feedback, since a check when you have put price or terms on the
table weakens your position. It takes strength, but be silent.

“Knowing when to negotiate helps you know what to

negotiate.”

Close often and early

Treat closing as a

process

✓

he sale is measured by the close: the close represents how well you

identified  and  met  your  customer’s  needs.  Salespeople  always  want
to  talk  about  closing.  However,  many  salespeople  are  hesitant  to
close.  Some  fear  being  rejected.  Others  don’t  want  to  close  down
communications. And others don’t want to seem pushy.

The one thing that most salespeople who are reluctant to close

have in common is they view closing as an all-or-nothing process.
They think they have to wait until the end—when everything is at
stake. With this approach, the risks are high.

Salespeople who are really good at closing handle it as a process.

They are more confident because they approach closing in phases:

■

Phase 1:

They set a measurable objective before the call.

■

Phase 2:

They use checking questions throughout the call to

gauge where they are and make adjustments.

■

Phase 3:

They end each call with a specific action step to main-

tain momentum or ask for the business.

It is up to you to ask for the next step or the business. However,

when you listen, question, position to needs, and check, the closing
question may become unnecessary, with the customer asking, “How do
we get started?” When this does not happen, it is up to you to close.

Your close can be a “next step” action close such as meeting the

economic decision maker, scheduling a demo or pilot program,
bringing in a specialist, or whatever comes next in the process before
you ask for the business or get a signature on a contract.

By setting an objective before each call, you know what you want

to achieve by the end of the call. That gives you the focus and guid-
ance to close. Your measurable objective is the action step you want
to reach by the end of the call. It helps ensure you maintain momen-
tum and it lets you realistically gauge your success.

Most salespeople go into a call with vague objectives, such as “get

closer to the deal.” But if you ask yourself, “What will I see at the end
of the call?” you can develop measurable, actionable objectives that
keep the sale moving.

Checking is a part of the closing process because it gives you a

read on how the customer will respond to your close. Before asking
for your action step, do a final check to find out how the customer
feels about what you have discussed relative to satisfying his or her
objectives. This final check will pave the way for you to ask for your
action step or help you reset your call objective.

If your customer rejects your close, make a second effort.

Acknowledge to find out why the customer is saying no, address the
obstacle, and, as appropriate, close again.

Here’s how to be a more effective closer:

Set an objective for each call:

To maintain momentum and move

the deal forward, make sure the objective is measurable, achievable,
and has a time frame.

Check for feedback throughout the call:

Ask for feedback on what

you position to give you the data and confidence you need to ask for
your action step or adjust your call objective.

End each call with an action step:

Don’t end your call with a vague

or indefinite next step. To maintain the momentum, ask for the busi-
ness or end the call with a concrete next step in place. Get into the
habit of asking for an action at the end of each call.

“Develop the habit of closing inch by inch and on

the dotted line.”

Go it alone

Leverage all resources

✓

he most effective salespeople have strong relationships with their

customers and with their colleagues internally. Especially in complex
sales, it is critical to understand and gain access to decision makers
and key influencers. It is also important to be able to leverage your
team—specialists, senior executives, peers, and support professionals.

Identify who makes the decisions for the customer and who influ-

ences  them.  Learn  who  has  the  power.  To  analyze  your  customer’s
decision  process,  ask  questions,  observe  communication  patterns,
and  get  input  from  all  contacts.  Develop  relationships  in  your  cus-
tomer’s  organization  high  and  wide.  Ask  critical  questions  about
commitment  to  the  initiative  and  find  out  who  on  the  customer’s
team  supports  or  opposes  the  initiative.  Find  out  who  holds  the
purse strings and identify your champion or coach, as well as any pos-
sible  nemesis.  Build  relationships  with  third-party,  outside  influ-
encers such as attorneys, auditors, and bankers, as needed.

Leverage your team early in the deal to create internal support

so the resources you need are available when you need them. Create
positive working relationships with specialists, senior management,
or support team members—before you need them. Share credit and
reciprocate in supporting them.

For example, a well-placed phone call from your senior to a sen-

ior in your customer’s organization can give you the edge you need
to win. One salesperson effectively used a senior manager in his
organization to win an important piece of business. He knew his cus-
tomer would be buying a new system and the situation was very com-

petitive, so he sought the support of his treasurer, who had a good
relationship with the CFO of the customer’s organization. The sales-
person asked his treasurer to call the CFO and fully prepared him to
persuasively tell their story and reinforced the two issues that were
most important to the CFO. According to the salesperson, that
phone call clinched the sale.

Here are a few ideas to help you leverage all the resources you

need to win:

Map your customer’s decision-making process:

Ask questions,

observe, and analyze your customer’s decision-making process. Gain
access to decision makers. Know who influences your customer.

Enlist the support of your colleagues:

Develop credibility internally

with your team members. When you win, share credit.

Develop a coach in the customer’s organization:

Identify and culti-

vate a respected customer contact who will champion your sale and
provide you with invaluable guidance and support to help you win. If
you don’t have a coach in each of your key relationships, develop one.

“Everyone knows someone. Good salespeople

know how to turn ‘six degrees of separation’ into

seven-figure sales.”

Follow up

Follow up flawlessly

✓

ollow-up gives salespeople a way to differentiate themselves that is

completely within their control. Follow-up is one of the easiest ways
to create credibility and trust with a customer: a promise made is a
promise kept—on time. Follow-up is needed before the sale, during
the sale, after the sale, and even when no deal is on the table.

Many salespeople are average at best at following up. But flawless

follow-up can help set you apart. It takes commitment, awareness,
and an effective daily to-do system. Write down whatever you commit
to on a daily to-do and check the list at the start and end of each day.
Be fanatical about this. If it is June 2 and you commit to something
for June 29, note that on June 29 and also in mid-June as a reminder.

When you get a call from a customer or colleague, call back

ASAP, even if it is only to set a time for the full call. Don’t let more
than 12 hours elapse without a response. Be more responsive than
your competitors and/or your own colleagues. Check your voice mail
every three hours and update it as necessary.

Most important, follow up when promised—ahead of time is

even better. Keep customers posted. If something will be late, call the
customer before he or she calls you. Alert customers to delays, apolo-
gize, and tell specifically what you will do and what the next step will
be. Show concern and a sense of urgency. Better yet, don’t be late.
Keep your commitments! Ask the customer early on what he or she
expects, to clarify and help you meet expectations.

Following a sales call, get an e-mail out quickly to all decision mak-

ers. Tailor it to the needs and questions of the customers. Use voice
mail to concisely update or recap next steps and maintain contact.

Use letters as appropriate as covers for proposals, etc.

When a decision is being made, stay close to the customer

through phone calls and e-mails and, when appropriate, face to face
throughout the decision period. If a deal is pending and you are
away, make sure your office can reach you ASAP or is prepared to
handle the call on your behalf. Call and e-mail your customers, main-
tain close contact, and find reasons to stay close during the decision
process.

To help you manage all relationships, put active and non-active

customers  on  an  appropriate  relationship  follow-up  schedule  to
avoid the “out of sight out of mind” syndrome. Follow up with cus-
tomers  after  meetings,  after  important  events,  before  and  after
implementation,  and  on  special  occasions  (such  as  to  wish  them  a
happy holiday).

Follow up internally to post your colleagues, thank them, and

also make sure no one has dropped the ball. Double-check with the
customer to gauge satisfaction. Leverage your team (specialists, sen-
iors, assistants).

Ban the words “Let me know …” and “Call me,” from your follow-

up language. It is up to you to call your customers and to set specif-
ic next steps at the end of each contact.

To follow up to create a winning edge:

Have a system:

Keep and use an active daily to-do. Check your to-

do to start and end each day.

Have a sense of urgency:

Be appropriately relentless in getting

things done. Communicate this commitment to your customers.

Keep follow-up in your court:

Don’t expect your customers to do

your job.

“One of the best follow-up calls is the thank-you call. A

‘thank you for the meeting’ call can lead to a ‘thank you

for the business’ call.”

Trust your instincts

Validate the

opportunity

✓

any salespeople trust their instincts about whether or not they

have a real, qualified opportunity. As helpful as “gut” feelings are,
the best information must come from the key source—the customer.
As logical as this sounds, it is surprising how many times salespeople
guide their deals by making assumptions and using information
they’ve gotten primarily from themselves.

There are critical, tough questions that must be answered by cus-

tomers:  “What  is  the  customer’s  most  compelling  need?”  “What  is
driving the opportunity?” “What is the time frame?” “Is there a com-
pelling  event?”  “What  budget  has  been  allocated  to  the  initiative?”
“What is the decision criterion?” “Who are the competitors?” “How
do  I  rank?”  “What  value  do  I  bring?”  “What  is  my  relationship?”
“What is my level of access to the decision makers?” “How does the
customer  perceive  my  value  and  differentiation  compared  to  my
competitors?”

Salespeople make three classic mistakes in qualifying and assess-

ing opportunities:

■

They assume that they know the answers to vital questions.

■

They forget that deals change daily based on internal customer
changes and the competitive landscape and they don’t change
their message and strategy.

■

They validate, they do it one time with one person.

Some salespeople delude themselves into thinking there is an

opportunity when there is none. Others may assume they don’t have

a chance when, in fact, they could win. Without validation, it is all
guesswork.

Validation is a perfect blending of six critical skills: presence,

relating, questioning, listening, positioning, and—most important—
checking. When you are validating, your goal is to understand how
customers think and, more important, to drill to a deeper level and
find out why they feel as they do.

So, for example, you may ask, “Who are the competitors?” but

then you may back away from asking the tougher questions about
how the customer and each of his or her colleagues feel about your
competitors and then how that compares with what the customers
think of you.

The answers to validating questions provide an understanding of

needs and also the criteria and politics involved in the process of
making the decision. Validating gives you the information you need
to help you differentiate your message to create a winning solution.

The next time you are in dialogue, really take note of how may

times you validate to drill down and confirm information.

To help you validate and gain additional information:

Assume nothing:

Double-check all information to make sure it is

valid and real.

Remember that things change:

Revalidate and adjust your strategy

and message.

Don’t stop at one:

You need more than one perspective to ensure

your information is correct.

“Validation is a perfect blending of six critical skills:

presence, relating, questioning, listening, positioning,

and—most important—checking.”

s business becomes more complex and competitive, you must

become  more  skilled  and  strategic.  The  level  of  change  across  the
board  is  unprecedented.  There  is  a  feeling  in  many  sectors  that  in
the past decade there was more buying than selling. The focus often
was  on  the  product  and  the  transaction,  rather  than  the  customer,
the value add, and the relationship.

It is up to you to determine if you have kept up with the level of

change around you, if you have altered how you sell. Are you active-
ly changing or merely tweaking?

The dialogue possible with sales talk will help you focus on your

customers in a new way. It will help you put the customer first and,
as one top performer said, “help the customer put you on speed
dial!” The objective is to use the dialogue to truly understand your
customers’ needs, to position compelling, tailored messages that cus-
tomers see as solutions to their needs, to close, and to deepen rela-
tionships.

The six critical skills of presence, relating, questioning, listening,

positioning, and checking are at the core of sales talk. These skills
are the tools that you need from your opening to your close. A weak-
ness in even one skill will hold you back.

Throughout the 20 lessons in this book, there has been a consis-

tent theme that your sale happens in the dialogue and that Sales talk
takes two. You have the tools available to you at all times in your
skills. Your message and your skills are the hub of your sale. Without

Make it happen

✓

them you can’t go forward. With them you move to your goal of
closed sales and long-term successful relationship.

You are good now. You also know you can be better.
For your next call, select one of the six critical skills to be your

focus:

Relate to your customers:

Leverage rapport to make customer feel

comfortable with you. Use acknowledgment to maintain connection
and empathy to create a closer bond.

Ensure your presence:

Check the level of interest, energy, and con-

viction that you project. Show your interest in the customer, not just
the sale.

Question, listen, and check:

Set a questioning strategy. Ask more

questions and position them to gain a full understanding of needs.
Listen effectively to the customer’s message—words, tone, and
pace—and read the body language. Check throughout to elicit feed-
back and make adjustments.

Position your message:

When you understand the customer’s

needs, position your message to meet those needs and ask for the
business.

Identify what has worked for you in the past and improve it so it

will work in the future. Know that you sell much more than your
product. You, as the “human face” of your company, are the sale and
your Sales talk makes it happen.

“For the twenty-first century salesperson-client relation-

ship, the salesperson must shift from the ‘expert’ to

being a ‘resource.’”

Linda Richardson

is the founder and president of Richardson,

training  consultants  to  corporations,  banks,  and  investment  banks
globally.  Linda  pioneered  the  concepts  of  consultative  selling  and
integrated, customized curriculums in the training and development
industry.  She  has  designed  and  implemented  customized  sales  and
leadership  training  systems  to  provide  clients  with  fully  integrated
curricula for all levels and departments in their organizations.

Linda is also on the faculty of Wharton School, where since 1989

she has taught relationship selling as an accredited graduate course
and where she teaches sales and coaching/management programs
for the Wharton Executive Development Center. She is the author of
eight books and her most recent books with McGraw-Hill are Selling
by Phone, Stop Telling, Start Selling, and Sales Coaching—Making the
Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach.

Among the clients of Richardson are Federal Express, General

Mills, Tiffany & Co., Dell Computer, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Citibank,
Standard Chartered, and Chubb Group of Insurance Companies.
Richardson has 15 regional offices in the United States and presence
in London, Australia, Singapore, Latin America, and Asia.

She is currently on the Mayor’s Council for the Arts for the City

of Philadelphia. Linda has been featured in Forbes Magazine, Across the
Board, The Conference Board Magazine, The Philadelphia Inquirer,
Nation’s Business, Success Magazine, Selling Magazine, and Selling Power
Magazine. Linda provides monthly cyber sales tips through her Web
site, www.richardson.com.

About the Author

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The Sales Success Handbook

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